Garment flap fastener



u. G. BUMBARGER 2,018,120

GARMENT FLAP FAS TENER Oct. 22, 1935.

Filed April 2, 1934 ll/ /A/1 6. Elma/wane Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT FLAP FASTENER Uriah G. *BumbargenCleveland, Ohio Application April 2, 1934, Serial No. 718,649 5 Claims.(cm-+78) This invention relates .to garment flap fasteners forapplication to various under garments, such .as a single piece garmentwhich .is more often formed .of knitted goods manufactured as acombination shirt .and drawers; and which piece isadaptedito be formedwith a verticalslot in the back, and having overlappingedges whichlatter normally remain overlapped in a suitable fit, but areadapted tobe separated when the wearer desires, but can be drawn into the originalposition when other clothes are to be manually closed, and the edges ofthe flaps are again overlapped. .Difiiculty hasbeen encountered by:former underwear of this character, because of inconvenience anddiscomfort in closing the flaps and retaining them closed.

It is my purpose to accomplish the desired result by providing strapsofunequal length. and attaching oneend-of each strap together atone pointand at aside of the garment, .while the oppositeends of the straps aresecured to the respective flap edges which-overlap to close thementioned slot at the back ofthe garment. The common ends of the. strapsare provided With a buttonhole adapted to detachably fit a buttonattached to .the described point at theside .of the garment. Sucharrangement of the :straps for closing said vertical slot when thestrapends "are buttoned, -may be accomplished readily, a:practicalembodiment of which in a unitary garment is represented in theaccompanying V drawing, in which,--

Figure 1 is a-frontelevation of a single piece garment and showing atoneside a fastening 35 button for .detachably securing thereto my improvedflap fastener;

Figure 2 is a rear elevationof the garment showingthe overlapping flapin closed position over the vertical slot, and the flap edges having 40one end of the fastener secure thereto externally of-the garment, andthe other end shown entering a slot opposite the'otherend of thefastener;

, Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, butshowing 45 'the flapsseparated and the fastener device unbuttoned;

Figure 4 is -a cross section of the rear walls of the garment,takenthrough a'plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. l; and showing thepor- 5 tions in closed position, and,

'Figurefi is'a view similar to Fig. 4, but showingthe fastener parts inposition when the flaps are separated. "The unitary body of theundergarment has 55 "the usualfrontdetachable seam 6, as chosen forwider than sthe longer strap 15.

piece garment, but may be used with advantage 10 on anygarments-havingthe vertical seat seam, asabove stated.

Assuming the garment shown in rear View in Figs. 2 and 3, and the outerflapfi closed over the under flap it, a reinforce patch M will best be Isecuredexternal of the goods on the right hand si .eoi the wearer, and abutton it provided at this point, as shownin Figs. 1, 3 and 5, fordetachablefastening of the loose end of the straps .12 and iii which areunited at id and provide a button-hole there for suitable fastening onthe button 28. The strap i2 is the shorter, and is .Further, this Widerstrap is permanently secured at the seam l3to theouter edge of the flap9, and thereby is adaptedto exert great pulling forceon the flop :9, indrawing the flap, 9 to closedposition before buttoning theunitedportionM on the button 20.

Tracing the strap 15 back fromthe point I4, it passes inwardly throughthe reinforced slot it which is-designed to lead through the outer flap9 and-through the reinforce piece 18 shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3,4, and5. The extreme end of the strap i5 is secured at I! by seam to the inneredge-of the inner flap Ii), so that outer pullingforce exerted at thepoint of attachment l i will tend todrawthe flap iii to the innerposition shown in either view in Figs. 2 or 4. The closing operationor'the flaps 9 and. iii may be accomplishedby drawing the unitaryattachment it. toward the button 20, thereby pulling the connection i'ibeneath the reinforced slot I6. All the viewsof .the drawing, exceptFig. 1, clearly show that. outer pressureexerted against the longerstrap l.5,-iand.which can be done by the .wearen tends todrawthe flap itfrom its position. in=.Fig. 4.,to that inFig. 5, while the strap isdrawn through the reinforced slot l6 ,until'the cunbuttoned end itreaches said slot, the seams .ii and idat the edges of the flaps beingseparated from the position of Fig. 4 to that shown in Figs; -5,.and'3.;It will nowbe clear that a positive slack i9 will exist in the longerstrap 15 which,

.by raising somewhat aboveits positionin Fig. 3, .will convenientlypermit, separation of the flaps 5 temporarily; but when the wearer risesto approximate erect position, and the flap edges loosely closed, may beheld in such closed relation by grasping the united ends at l4, andtaking up such slack by repositioning thebuttonhole slot at M in engagedposition on the button 20, as shown in either Fig. 2 or 4.

The opening and closing positions of the parts 9, l0, I2, I4, l5, l6,and 20 are shown well in.

the last four views of the drawing. The movement of such parts in thechanges from one position to the other, obviously requires a slidingmovement of the strap l5 through the reinforced slot i6 remote from theouter edge ofthe flap 9. This is controlled by the wearer by manuallygrasping the parts at M and I9, and applying the stronger force at oneor the other of the latter parts, and button or unbutton the part I4 at20.

The garment is shown flattened out in the first three views, the strapsI2 and I5 ordinarily being designed to press slightly upon the buttocksof the wearer, when the flaps are being closed and the garment is worn.It is of much importance also, the fact that no buttons or other hardengaging objects such as buttons, pins or books, need be used on mydevice, in a position to be sat upon when the flaps are closed. The onlyfastener for my garment at the seat seam is the button as at the side.

The manipulation of the improved flap fasteners which constitutes myinvention, is readily accomplished in the following manner:The outerflap 9 is held normally ciosed over the under flap It) as shown from therear in Fig. 2, and in section in Fig. l. The connection of the outerends of the straps l2 and !5 being then buttoned over the button 212, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4, in which the position of both the fasteners andthe seam flaps is both comfortable and secure. When the wearer desiresto seat, as at toilet, the unit I4 is easily unbuttoned from the button20, the longer strap l5 as shown at Fig. 2, is drawn backwardly andupwardly sufficient to provide slack as at I9, in Figs. 3 and 5, thislonger strap l5 being drawn through the slot 5 until said slack I9 isadequate, at the same time separating the flaps 9 and I0, as shown inFig. 3, thereby opening the seam which can be done readily while thegarment is loosened from the front.

When the said seam is to be closed, the wearer may reach the hands tothe position for grasping the common connecting point at M, as inFig. 5,at the same time applying a pulling force to the straps which will drawthe strap l5 outwardly through the slot [6, and at the same time pullthe strap l2 over into overlapping position, and such attachment I4forward to be secured on the button 20 at the side. This operation canbe performed without opening the front seam 6, though it can be loosenedif desired. While I have shown in much detail the application of my flapfastener to a single-piece undergarment, I do not however, desire tolimit myself to the particular application of the fastener to any onegarment having the vertical seam at the back, for I have found suchapplication easily adaptable to garments of all kinds having theseparable flaps as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a garment having an opening, flaps for covering the opening, and afastener for detachably securing the flaps in overlapped position,comprising strap members of unequal length seing the seam and a fastenerfor detachably securing the flaps in overlapped position, comprisingstrap members of unequal length having one end of each attached to theedges of the respective flaps, the outer flap having an open slottherein at a point remote from its edge, to receive the longer or" saidstrap members outwardly therethrough, the other ends of said membersbeing united for a common manual application of pulling force to saidunited ends to draw the flaps into overlapping relation for closing thesaid seam, and means provided on the side of the garment for detachablyreceiving the common.

united point of said strap members to hold the said flaps overlapped.

3. In a garment having a seam, flaps for closing the seam, and afastener for detachably securing the flaps in overlapped relation,comprising strap members of unequal length secured to,- gether at oneend in superposed position and having a common buttonhole therethrough,a button being fixed on a side of the garment on a line transverse ofsaid garment scam, the other ends of said straps being secured to theedges of the respective flaps, the shorter of the strap members beingbroader and engaging the outer flap, there being a slot in the latter ata point remote from its edge to receive the longer and narrower membertherethrough loosely, so that engaging said buttonhole in said securedends of the strap members on said button will overlap said seam flaps,while separation of the flaps when the strap members are detached fromthe button, will loosen the longer strap member by movement through saidslot in the outer seam flap.

4. In a garment having a seam, flaps for closing the seam and fastening'means comprising, for detachably securing said flaps in overlappingposition, strap members of unequal length, secured at one end of each tothe edges of said ilaps respectively, and the opposite ends of saidmembers united together so that a pulling force applied to said point ofunion will exert an overlapping tendency to the flaps to which the strapmembers are secured, the said strap members being superposed in theirsecuring position upon said flaps, the outer strap being the narrowerand extending inwardly through an opening in said outer flap at a pointremote from its edge, so that the latter flap may engage the edge of theinner flap whereby a pulling force exerted on said point of union towardthe fixed point established on the garment remote from the said flaps,will close said flaps in superposed relation with a resulting balancedstrain on the two strap members.

5. In a garment having a seam, flaps for closing the scam in overlappedrelation, and a fastener comprising strap members of unequal lengthandwidth secured together at one end, and having a buttonhole throughthe superposed union of said. members, a button being fixed on a side ofthe garment nearest the edge of the outer flap when overlapped, theshorter strap member having its opposite end attached to the outer flapedge of the garment seam, the outer flap having an opening therethroughremote from its edge to permit the longer strap member to pass throughsaid opening and secure its opposite end to the inner flap edge andengagement of said button by the buttonhole in the straps tending todetachably close the said flaps, whereby to close said seam.

URIAH G. BUMBARGER.

